MISSISSIPPI FRESHWATER COMMERCIAL FISHERY AND PADDLEFISH COMMERCIAL FISHERY REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010

Transcription

1 MS 424 MISSISSIPPI FRESHWATER COMMERCIAL FISHERY AND PADDLEFISH COMMERCIAL FISHERY REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 200 Report for Project 09: Freshwater Commercial Fishery Coordination Freshwater Fisheries Report No. 269 Project Leader: Garry Lucas Sections: PADDLEFISH COMMERCIAL FISHERY AND SURVEYS COMMERCIAL FISHERY HARVEST SURVEY i

2 MISSISSIPPI FRESHWATER COMMERCIAL FISHERY AND PADDLEFISH COMMERCIALFISHERY REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 200 Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures 2 Abstract...3 FY200 License Sales Summary... 4 I. Paddlefish Commercial Fishery... 5 Non-Game Gross Fish Stock Survey Data II. Commercial Fishery Harvest Survey... 6 Literature Cited APPENDICES A. Public Notice F2-3798: Paddlefish Harvest Roe Harvest Season B Freshwater Commercial Fishing Harvest Survey Packet Introductory Flyer Survey Form Harvest Report Form C. Highlights of the Paddlefish Regulations for the Roe Season Harvest Report Guide Paddlefish Sale Transaction Form Paddlefish Processor Report Form C. Paddlefish Summer Harvest Report Guide and Harvest Forms Harvest Form D Non-Game Gross Fish Stock Survey Data Tippo Bayou report E. Tables of Data Presented as Graphs in Report ii

3 Table Number Page List of Tables Table. History Of Regulations for the Commercial Harvest of Paddlefish 6 Table 2. Paddlefish CPUE (catch per net set)of Paddlefish Harvester Permit holders..9 Table 3 Population Estimates for Paddlefish in the L &D Pool of the Sunflower River, Winter Table 4. Actual Harvest Reported by Respondents to Surveys for Calendar Years 2009 and Table 5. Grouping of Survey Respondents by Participation in the Fishery 7 Table 6.Estimated Total Harvest by Commercial Fishing for Calendar Year Table 7. Comparison of Total Harvest by Commercial Fishing for 2008 and Table 8. Fishing effort by respondents to survey for CY Table 9.Response to Survey Questions on Why a Person Purchased a Freshwater Commercial Fishing License for CY Table 0. Comparison of Reasons to Purchase a License, Table. Respondents Comments on Regulation Changes Table 2. Respondents Comments to the Question; Why is commercial fishing is important to you?..23 Table 3. Comments from 2 persons that stated why they did not harvest 3

4 any fish in

5 List of Figures Figure Number Page Figure. Number of residents who participated in the commercial fishery by fiscal year..4 Figure 2. Length Frequency of Paddlefish Harvested During Figure 3. Length Frequency of Paddlefish Collected During Samplingon the SunflowerRiver During February, 200 Figure 4. Lengths of Paddlefish Collected in 4 Systems in Early Figure 5. Length Frequency of Asian Carp Sampled in Gill Nets During Spring Figure 6. Length Frequency of Buffalo Fish Surveyed on Tippo Bayou 4 Figure 7 Length Frequency of Buffalo Collected on Wasp Lake 4 Figure 8. Age Distribution of Persons that Purchased Commercial Fishing Licenses in FY

6 Abstract This report documents data collected during Fiscal Year 200 ( July 2009 thru June 200) associated with MDWFP Project 09, Freshwater Commercial Fishery Coordination. The report is presented in 2 components: Summary of the season for the paddlefish fishery with summary of surveys for paddlefish and non-game gross fish; and documentation of the commercial fishing harvest for 2009 reported by respondents to the Commercial Fishery Harvest Survey. During Fiscal Year 200 (FY200), 669 persons purchased inland freshwater commercial fishing licenses, permits or tags. During the past 3 fiscal years,326 persons have participated in the fishery for non-game gross fish or commercial fish. Statistics on Commercial Fishery for Paddlefish Roe for the season: Participants Two persons had Harvester Permits ($750 each) One person had a Processor Permit ($,000 each) Catch -,63 paddlefish were caught; 75 were harvested and 988 released. Of the 75 harvested paddlefish, 70 were females with lbs. of eggs (processed weight.). Product pounds of the processed roe (58 % of harvested roe) was sold as a product packaged for retail sale identified as originating from Mississippi. All of the Mississippi identified retail product was packaged in one pound containers. All but 2 of the harvested paddlefish were sent to market for the sale of the flesh. Non-Game Gross Fish Survey: During FY stationary gill net sets were set in four water bodies, catching 228 fish of 20 species. Length frequency distributions for paddlefish, buffalo, and Asian carp are presented. A paddlefish harvester was accompanied by the project leader on six days when he ran his nets (49 net sets), and data was collected on 262 paddlefish that the harvester released. Statistics on Survey of Inland Commercial Fishery for 2009: Survey Participants: 680 (FY2009 license holders) 52% indicated they had a license only to get fish for personal consumption. Survey returns: % usable return rate (2 returned undeliverable) Harvest poundage reported by respondents to survey: Buffalo 460,00 pounds; Channel Catfish 9,00 pounds; Blue catfish 42,500 pounds; Flathead 93,00 pounds; Common carp -63,200 pounds; Asian carp - 77,00 pounds; Freshwater Drum -9,300 pounds; Gar- 6,800 pounds; Other species harvested were eel, bowfin, shad, bullheads, carpsuckers, turtles and minnows. 6

7 MISSISSIPPI FRESHWATER COMMERCIAL FISHERY AND PADDLEFISH COMMERCIAL FISHERY DURING FISCAL YEAR 200 Project Leader: Garry Lucas, MDWFP Commercial Fishing Biologist During Fiscal Year 200, 669 persons purchased inland freshwater commercial fishing licenses, permits or tags (Figure ). The MDWFP sold 628 resident inland freshwater commercial fishing licenses and 30 nonresident inland freshwater commercial fishing licenses. There were persons who purchased slat box licenses, but did not purchase a commercial fishing license during FY200. Fishers during FY200 purchased 2,95 gear tags and 9 persons purchased 296 slat box tags/licenses. Three persons purchased three paddlefish permits. During FY2009, 680 persons purchased commercial fishing licenses, permits or tags, with 3,72 gear tags sold, including 07 persons who purchased 255 slat box licenses and 3 persons that purchased 4 paddlefish permits. 7

8 The Fishery Management Plan for the Mississippi Inland Commercial Fishery has a discussion of commercial fishing license trends related to changes in license structure and license prices (MDWFP, 200). This report documents activities associated with the management of Mississippi s inland freshwater commercial fishery for non-game gross fish (commercial fish or rough fish), including paddlefish, and non-native fishes during Fiscal Year 200 (July 2009 thru June 200). PADDLEFISH COMMERCIAL FISHERY The MDWFP s aspirations for the paddlefish commercial fishery are Give Mississippians the opportunity to benefit from the lucrative caviar trade, and use that as a way to enhance the commercial freshwater fishing industry Develop a Mississippi product(s) produced from a sustainable paddlefish population Reduce waste from summer mortality of paddlefish from incidental catch in commercial gear. And, foremost to, conserve paddlefish populations for sustainable harvest by future generations. Statistics on Commercial Fishery for Paddlefish: Open Waters Three Zones: Mississippi River, open December 2009-March 200;; Delta Zone and Sunflower River Zone, open January-February 200 Participants Two persons had Paddlefish Harvester Permits ($750 each) One person had a Paddlefish Processor Permit ($,000 each) Catch - 67 paddlefish were caught during the periods open for harvest of roe; 79 paddlefish were harvested and 988 released in 33 net sets during 49 man-days of harvest. 626 of the released fish were less than legal size with seventy of these released fish having eggs. 362 paddlefish of legal size were released. Of the 79 harvested paddlefish, 74 were females which yielded 602. lbs. of eggs (processed weight.). The length of the harvested paddlefish (both male & female) ranged from 34 to 46 inches (EFL; Eye-to-fork length). As of June 30, 200 no persons have purchased tags to allow them to harvest paddlefish during the summer harvest season. Product pounds of the processed roe (58 % of harvested roe) was sold as a product (caviar) packaged for retail sale and identified as originating from Mississippi. All of the Mississippi identified retail product (roe) was 8

9 packaged in one pound containers All but two of the harvested paddlefish carcasses were sent to markets for the sale of the paddlefish flesh. The Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks closed the state to the commercial harvest of paddlefish in April The fishery was re-opened in December 2008 on border waters shared with Arkansas (Lucas, 2009). The fishery was opened with strict regulations that possibly make the Mississippi commercial paddlefish fishery one of the most regulated fisheries, anywhere. Table. History Of Regulations for the Commercial Harvest of Paddlefish Prior to inch length limit (as Total Length) inch length limit (Total Length) 988 closed season, January thru April (Nov. thru April on the Pascagoula River) 994 closed season Nov. thru April; Statewide 2007 No Open Season for Paddlefish Harvest (Public Notice F4-2999) 2008 Open Season Dec to March 2009 to harvesters with special permits on border waters with Arkansas. Harvest was restricted to fish greater than 34 inches (Eye to Fork Length; EFL) to match length limit established by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. (Public Notice F3798) 2009 Harvesters have to have special permit to harvest paddlefish during season open to collection of roe. On border waters with Arkansas; Open Season Dec through March 200, with harvest restricted to fish greater than 34 inches EFL to match length limit established by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. Two new zones opened for season: Tallahatchie/Coldwater River and Sunflower River; Open Season, January and February, with harvest restricted to fish greater than 37 inches (EFL). Established a summer paddlefish fishery where during the months of May through August any commercial licensed fisher can harvest one paddlefish per day for personal consumption, but any paddlefish in possession must be tagged. (Public Notice F2-3798) The Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks modified Public Notice 3798 in August 2009 to a) add additional waters to harvest of paddlefish for roe, b) reduce permit fee costs, c) establish a summer fishery for paddlefish for personal consumption. The regulations for the paddlefish fishery are found in Public Notice F (Appendix F). A summary of the key elements of Public Notice F are: Harvesters must have special permit to harvest paddlefish; cost of the Harvester Permit was $750, and the number of harvesters was limited to 25. Harvesters and processors must attend a mandatory meeting on paddlefish 9

10 season. Season December 2008-March 2009 Harvested paddlefish must be at least 37 EFL (The MDWFP goal is to have a 37 inch length limit that is expected to protect 30% of spawning size females. To try to have consistent regulations in border waters Mississippi harvesters would abide by the lesser length between the two states, which was 34 inches per Arkansas regulations.) Harvested paddlefish must be tagged Eggs must remain within the fish until the fish reach the processing facility of a permitted buyer. Buyers were persons with either a Processor Permit ( at a cost of $,000), or Buyer/Exporter Permit (at a cost of $3,000) Harvesters were required to report the harvest of paddlefish on a Paddlefish Sale Transaction Form that the buyers were required to submit to the MDWFP within 24 hours of any exchange of paddlefish Mississippi River Zone (border waters with Arkansas as established in PN 3672) o Season: December 2009-March 200 o Harvested paddlefish must be at least 34 EFL to match Arkansas regulations Delta Zone (waters of the Tallahatchie and Cold Water Rivers north of State Rt 32, that includes a portion of Tallahatchie County, and all of Quitman and Tunica Counties) o Season: January - February 200 o Harvested paddlefish must be at least 37 EFL Sunflower River Zone (waters of the Sunflower River north of State Route 6, that includes a portion of Sharkey County, and the Sunflower River where it is the border between Sunflower and Washington Counties) o Season: January - February 200 o Harvested paddlefish must be at least 37 EFL Summer fishery for paddlefish for personal consumption: During months of May to thru August any person with a valid freshwater commercial fishing license can harvest one paddlefish per day for personal consumption. To possess a Paddlefish it must be tagged. The areas open to harvest during FY 200 for roe harvest were the Mississippi River Zone, Delta Zone, and Sunflower River Zone. The areas open to summer harvest for personal consumption were any waters of the state open to commercial fishing. Rationale for the Paddlefish Harvest Zones- Mississippi River Zone: This zone is the border waters with Arkansas. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission opened Arkansas waters along the Mississippi River to paddlefish harvest in The MDWFP opened the border 0

11 waters to paddlefish harvest in 2008 to give Mississippi residents the opportunity to participate in a fishery already taking place on these waters. Mississippi experienced paddlefish harvest from 2002 to 2006 during a period from mid September to October. Most of the paddlefish harvesters during were nonresident licensed fishers. When paddlefish harvest was closed statewide in 2007, the sale of nonresident commercial licenses dropped by 22. Fish surveys by the MDWFP indicated that paddlefish populations had been impacted by the harvest during , but that viable paddlefish populations existed in waters thought to be targeted for roe harvest (Lucas, 2009). The MDWFP decided that a conservative beginning point in allowing harvest of paddlefish would be to limit harvest to 25 persons for 60 day season. The Delta Zone and the Sunflower Zone were open for 60 days with these zones having refuge areas where harvest was prohibited. Description of refuge areas in Delta and Sunflower River Zones: Delta Zone (Tallahatchie and Coldwater Rivers) Surveys by the MDWFP found harvestable size paddlefish in waters of the open zone. Waters in the Tallahatchie River drainage south of the open zone had paddlefish, but none were found to be greater than 37 EFL. Sunflower River Zone This zone had 2 refuge areas. The first refuge Sunflower River and lakes in Issaquena and Sharkey Counties south of Route 6. The second refuge was the upper end of the Sunflower lock and dam pool in Sunflower County. Summer Harvest Zone Commercial fishermen had complained that many paddlefish caught in nets in the summer do not survive (Lucas, 2009). To address this, fishers were given an opportunity to harvest these fish, with a mechanism (tagging and reporting requirements) to document this mortality for biologists to gain insight to make management decisions on whether to open the fishery for summer harvest for meat. Currently, summer- harvested paddlefish can only be used for personal consumption. The Summer Harvest Zone was state-wide (on waters open to commercial fishing) as all state waters would have water temperature not suitable for good survival of paddlefish caught in over-night gill net sets. Once the regulations established by Public Notice F were adopted, Fisheries Bureau staff took actions to inform the public, commercial licensed persons, and Conservation

12 Officers of these regulations. The MDWFP commercial fishing web page had links to a highlights summary of the paddlefish regulations, and a link to a copy of the Public Notice. Persons holding a freshwater commercial fishing license were informed by a flyer (Appendix B) mailed with the commercial fishing harvest survey packet (Appendix C). Conservation Officers were notified of the regulations by a guide made for their use, which was distributed to those Conservation Officers who would possibly have a direct involvement in the enforcement of paddlefish regulations. Persons seeking to obtain paddlefish permits had to apply for permits through the Point of Sale (POS) license system. The applications were available October to October 25, 2009 at any license agent and the cost for the application was $5.00 plus applicable transaction fees. Those applying for permits were screened by the MDWFP to ascertain if they had any previous violations of state and wildlife regulations within the last five years. Such violation would preclude them from being qualified to purchase a paddlefish permit. Persons seeking to obtain paddlefish permits were required to attend a mandatory meeting that was held November 2, 2009 at the North West Mississippi Fish Hatchery. At that meeting paddlefish harvesters and roe buyers were able to meet. The regulations were explained to the seven attendees along with how to fill out the Paddlefish Sale Transaction Form to document harvest of paddlefish. An instruction manual on filling out the forms was distributed to those attending the meeting. The instruction manual also discussed the rules and regulations concerning fishing for and harvesting paddlefish and listed landmarks that denoted the boundaries of the Delta and Sunflower River Harvest Zones. Two paddlefish harvesters and one buyer (processor) participated in the fishery. As in the season few paddlefish were harvested from the Mississippi River Zone by Mississippi harvesters, and, no fish were reported harvested from the Delta Zone during the season. A length frequency of harvested paddlefish is presented in Figure 2 on Page 8. A comparison of the paddlefish catch rate for the and seasons is given in Table 2. Table 2. Paddlefish CPUE (catch per net set)of Paddlefish Harvester Permit holders season season Catch Rate for ALL Paddlefish Catch rate for legal size paddlefish* Catch rate for undersize paddlefish Catch rate for harvested paddlefish * Includes both harvested & released fish 2

13 One harvester was accompanied by MDWFP biologist(s) when he ran nets on the Sunflower River. The harvester was accompanied on 6 trips during February 200. Paddlefish that he released were first handed to biologist(s) who recorded data on the fish and marked the paddlefish with a notch in the pelvic fin, before releasing the fish. Data recorded were total length, EFL, measured on both a flat board and by using a measuring tape, sex, and presence of eggs. Three fish did not survive to be released, so the jaw bones were extracted and frozen for future age determination: Mortality figures do not include number of fish that were harvested. The presence of marked fish was noted in subsequent trips with the harvester. Data on recaptures of marked fish were used to make population estimates based on the following formula (USFWS, 2009): Population estimate = (Total Fish Captured) X (Fish Caught that had been Marked) (Total Recaptured fish that were also marked) The paddlefish population estimates that were obtained are assumed to be applicable to the population of Sunflower River paddlefish that inhabit the pool formed by the old lock and dam below Route 2. Knowledge is lacking of the distinct zones of paddlefish within the Sunflower River. The old lock and dam does restrict, but not totally prevent movement of paddlefish past the structure. Few paddlefish were reported encountered in the Sunflower River above the confluence with the Quiver River, the upstream end of the old lock and dam pool (personal communication 200, William Lancaster, commercial licensed fisher). Three estimates of population size for the Sunflower River lock and dam pool ranged from 774 to 3,423, paddlefish with an average value of,988 paddlefish (Table 3). Using a population size of,988 paddlefish the exploitation rate in the Sunflower River lock and dam pool with a harvest of 29 paddlefish was %, but with 784 fish reported caught, 39% of the population (784/988) were captured in 84 net sets over 25 days of fishing during a two month period (January and February 200). The length frequency of paddlefish harvested during the season and length frequency of paddlefish during Sunflower River sampling in February 200 are presented in Figures 2 and 3, respectively. Table 3. Population Estimates for Paddlefish in the L &D Pool of the Sunflower River, Winter 200 Date Total Catch (C ) No. Marked Harvest Cumulative previously Marked(M) Recaptures (R ) Population estimate 2// n/a 3

14 2/8/ n/a 0 n/a 2/9/ /20/ /24/ Error 2/28/ Avg. = 988 The 2//200 set was not in the lock and dam pool Figure 2. Length Frequency of Paddlefish Harvested During Figure 3. Length Frequency of Paddlefish Collected During Sampling on the Sunflower River During February,

15 Additional information on paddlefish populations was obtained by MDWFP biologists sampling several water bodies using gill nets and electrofishing and from information reported by commercial freshwater fisherman. The water bodies surveyed were Minter City Cutoff (27 Mile bend) in Tallahatchie County, Horn Lake (Lakeview) in Desoto County, Wasp Lake in Humphreys County, and Tippo Bayou in Grenada County (See Appendix D). The findings in regards to paddlefish management for each water are presented below, with lengths of paddlefish collected presented in Figure 4, and lengths of other fish collected presented in Figures 5-7. Minter City Cutoff - This lake was sampled to assess the paddlefish population in the lower portion of the Tallahatchie River system. The Tallahatchie River north of Route 32 along with the Coldwater River was open to harvest during January and February 200, as large paddlefish had been collected in that upper section of the watershed. A good number of paddlefish were found in the Cutoff, but none were greater than 37 EFL to justify opening that section of the river to paddlefish roe harvest. Horn Lake Large paddlefish were reported caught from this lake during the roe harvest season and this lake was sampled to verify that large fish were present. Large paddlefish were collected in this lake during the survey. 5

16 Wasp Lake -- This lake was reported by a commercial fishermen to have many paddlefish which prevented him from being able to fish the lake for buffalo. The lake did have many buffalo and paddlefish large enough to justify opening the lake to roe harvest. Tippo Bayou -- This stream was surveyed to get additional information on the paddlefish of the Tippo Bayou watershed: Six Mile Lake, a lake in the watershed, was surveyed in 2009, and no paddlefish greater than 37 EFL were found. Paddlefish were collected in Tippo Bayou, with some measuring near close to 37 EFL that would justify opening the watershed to roe harvest, possibly as early as the season. A summary of the Tippo Bayou survey data are presented in Appendix D 6

17 Figure 4. Lengths of Paddlefish Collected in 4 Systems in Early 200 Figure 5. Length Frequency of Asian Carp Sampled in Gill Nets During Spring 200 7

18 Figure 6. Length Frequency of Buffalo Fish Surveyed on Tippo Bayou Figure 7 Length Frequency of Buffalo Collected on Wasp Lake 8

19 Paddlefish caught in over-night sets of gill nets during the summer have a low rate of survival. Therefore, there is waste associated with efforts to conserve the harvest of paddlefish by mandating that there be no harvest during summer months. The survey of the commercial fishery harvest for 2009 estimated that,975 paddlefish were caught and released by commercial fishers; probably with a sizeable portion of these released dead. The Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks in adopting Public Notice F began to address this issue by allowing the harvest of paddlefish during the months of May to August, allowing residents with commercial fishing licenses and paddlefish tags to keep one paddlefish per day for personal consumption. The kept paddlefish had to be tagged, so fishers first had to purchase tags to allow them to possess paddlefish. A report form for fishers to record their catch accompanied the sale of the summer paddlefish tags. The reporting of summer paddlefish harvest provides MDWFP biologists with data regarding the impact that summer fishing has on paddlefish stocks. See Appendix E for a copy of the information sheet on summer paddlefish fishery and the order form for summer paddlefish harvest tags. During May and June 200 no summer paddlefish tags were sold that would allow for the harvest of paddlefish. After the paddlefish roe harvest season was over comments were received from those who participated in the fishery on changes they would like to see in the regulations for the upcoming season. The following comments were received: Allow the removal of eggs while on the water, and/or the cutting of tongue to bleed the fish. 2 Open Roe season to coincide with season of surrounding states 3 Reduce size limit to 34 EFL 4 Allow out-of-state harvesters to participate if the 25 person quota is not met 5 Consider opening waters on a special permit season basis for limited fishing periods 6 Allow persons with a Processor permit or Buyer/Exporter permit to harvest paddlefish with those permit(s) 7 repeal the rule on one catfish per day over 34 8 eliminate the00yard net proximity rule (especially on border waters with AR which has no such regulation) 9 Permit fees, license costs, and short seasons limit participation in the fishery 0 Make regulation changes earlier in the year so fishers can prepare nets for the season. The following comments on paddlefish regulations were also received from five persons responding to the FY200 Commercial Fishing Harvest Survey.. The paddlefish regulations are absurd 2. Make paddlefish regulations fair Fees are expensive and discriminatory 9

20 3. Allow hoop net fishers to possess paddlefish 4. Open paddlefish season in Wilkinson County COMMERCIAL FISHERY HARVEST SURVEY FOR CALENDER YEAR 200 During the 2008 Mississippi Legislative Session, Statute was amended to require that persons with freshwater commercial fishing licenses report their harvest of nongame gross fish. A harvest survey was sent to each of the 680 persons who purchased a commercial freshwater fishing license during FY2009. Each license holder was mailed a packet that contained a notice letter, a freshwater commercial fishing survey form, a harvest report form and an addressed envelope to return the forms (Appendix F). The notice letter stated the requirement to report harvest, and notified recipients of the upcoming paddlefish season with information on how to apply for paddlefish permits. The survey form had questions that elicited why a person purchased a freshwater commercial fishing license and asked for recommendations to changes in regulations or things to improve fishing or fish stocks. The harvest form asked questions on what gears were used and the how many fish were harvested. The gear use included questions on number of days, number of gear units used, and preferred fishing location. This packet was mailed September 26, 2009,and had a return deadline of January 3, 200. Twenty one surveys were returned as undeliverable so a total of 659 license holders had the opportunity to participate. Two hundred sixty five (265) surveys were completed and returned. Statistics on Survey of Inland Commercial Fishery for Calendar Year Participants: % indicated they had a license only to get fish for personal use. Survey returns: % usable return rate (265/659) Table 4. Actual Harvest Reported by Respondents to Surveys for Calendar Years 2009 and 2008 Fish Buffalo fish ( 460,00 lbs) 500,000 lbs. Channel Catfish 74,300 fish (9,00 lbs) 70,000+ Blue catfish 38, 400 fish (42,500 lbs) Flathead Catfish,770 Fish (93,00 lbs) 50,000 Common Carp 8,700 Fish (63,200 lbs) 70,000 Bighead Carp 5,560 fish (65,700 lbs) 60,000+ Silver Carp,70 Fish (,400 lbs) Freshwater Drum 4,500 Fish (9,300 lbs),000 Gar 2,060 (6,800 lbs) 77 alligator gar reported 4, alligator gar reported Paddlefish,445 fish (caught & released) Not asked Other fish caught 67 eel; 20bowfin;242 carpsuckers;,364 bullheads; shad, turtles and eel, bowfin, shad, and minnows 20

21 Number harvesters reporting catch minnows 265 (Response rate 40%) 230 (Response rate 33%) Survey respondents were grouped by years that they had previously purchased freshwater commercial fishing licenses. Table 5 shows the long term participation in the fishery of those who were sent a survey, along with the response rate by years they had participated in the fishery. Commercial fishers are required by law and regulation to report harvest on forms supplied by MDWFP. Although the response rate was relatively low for a regulatory requirement, the low response rate may be explained by the dynamic turn-over of participation in the fishery.over 260 persons purchased licenses in FY2009,-- the fiscal year from which the survey list was prepared -- who had not renewed their license for FY200 when they received the survey. Many of those who received survey forms probably threw them away, as they thought that since they did not have a license at the time they received the survey they did not need to participate in the survey by reporting their catch from the previous year. This turnover of participation in the fishery could also explain, in part, the high number of persons (20%) who said they did not harvest any fish in the past year (see Table 9 and discussion on page 7). Table 5. Grouping of Survey Respondents by Participation in the Fishery. Years they had License Number of Licensee Number of Respondents to Survey Classification FY 2008, 2009, Long term 99 FY 2009 & (expansion factor.35) FY 2008 & Short term 66 FY 2009 only 265 (expansion factor 6.7) The resultant grouping of the fishers, by years they had participated in the fishery, was used to stratify the harvest estimate by long term participation versus short term participation. Those classified as long term participants had a much higher response rate than short term participants; 74% versus 6%, respectively. These response rates percentages were used to derive expansion factors of.35 ( divided by 99 =.35) and 6.7 ( divided by 66 = 6.7)for long term and short term survey respondents, respectively, to estimate harvest by the respective groups. The short term participants appeared to be targeting the harvest of catfish. 2

22 This stratified estimate was compared to a harvest estimate by direct expansion (Table 6), where the harvest of the 265 survey respondents were assumed to be a true representation of the 659 persons surveyed. A comparison of the total commercial harvest for calendar years 2009 and 2008 is given in Table 7. Gears used by respondents to the 2009 survey are listed in Table 8. 22

23 Table 6.Estimated Total Harvest by Commercial Fishing for Calendar Year 2009 Species Direct Expansion of reported harvest by respondents to survey (39% of License holders responded to survey) Expansion of harvest by participants stratified by years of participation Long term Short term Sum (pounds)of Long term and Short term Buffalo,79,800 pounds 725,700 25,600 85,300 Channel 74,900 fish 87,900 fish 25,800 fish 206,000 Catfish (280,900 pounds) (36,800 pounds) (69,200 pounds) Blue Catfish 90,200 fish (334,500 pounds) 39,900 fish (5,300 pounds) 47,600 fish (57,300 pounds) 308,600 Flathead Catfish 30,200 (238,800 pounds) 2,500 fish (04,600 pounds) 2,500 fish (33,800 pounds) 238,400 Common Carp 62,00 pounds 84,800 2,500 87,300 Asian Carp 79,600 pounds 03, ,600 Freshwater 49,600 pounds 23,700 5,000 38,700 Drum Gar 43,000 pounds 28,200 6,600 34,800 Table 7. Comparison of Total Harvest by Commercial Fishing for 2008 and 2009 (Values in table are pounds harvested) Species Direct Expansion of reported harvest (39% of License holders responded to survey) Expansion of harvest stratified by years of participation Direct Expansion of reported harvest (33% of License holders responded to survey) Buffalo,79,800 85,300,500,000 Channel and Blue Catfish 65,400 54, ,000 Flathead Catfish 238, ,400 53,000. Common Carp 62,00 87,300 20,000 Asian Carp 79,600 04, ,000 Freshwater Drum 49,600 38,700 33,000 Gar 43,000 34,800 42,000 23

24 Table 8. Fishing effort by respondents to survey for CY 2009 (265 respondents 40% of license holders) Fishing effort reported by respondents to survey for CY 2009 Avg. # days fished in a yr. by persons Gear Number of persons who fished gear (% ) who fished that gear Gill net 6 (23%) 75 (range) (2-365) Hoop nets 93 (35%) 52 (0-340) Slat Boxes 23(9%) 30 (5-00) Trotlines 35 (3%) 75 (2-300) No fish 54 (20%) harvested Avg. # gear fished per day by persons who fished that gear (range) 3.6 nets (-2) 6. nets (-20) 2.3 boxes (-0) 4.2 lines (-0) Other gears reported fished rod & reel, jugs and drop lines. * 07 persons purchased slat box licenses in FY2009 Gear effort in 2009 was very similar to that in 2008, except that the percentage of fishers fishing trotlines dropped from 3% in 2008 to 3% in 2009, and slat box effort decreased from an average of 76 days to

25 Table 9.Response to Survey Questions on Why a Person Purchased a Freshwater Commercial Fishing License for CY2009. Respondents can answer yes to multiple questions. N=265 QUESTION NUMBER RESPONDENTS Persons who did not respond to questions 22 (8%).I run commercial gear to harvest fish for personal or family use Number who answered only question # Total Number who answered question # 2. In past year I sold nongame gross fish (includes those that listed responses to Questions 3,4,&5) (52%) 85 (70%) 98 (37%) 3. I have a license as a helper to assist another licensed 7 (6%) person 4. I own or manage a fish market or fish house 3 (5%) 5. I peddle, trade or barter fish to customers on a local 33 (2%) route or circuit. 6. I am a wholesale minnow dealer. 5 (2%) 7. I sell minnows caught from public waters I have a permit to raise nongame wildlife for sale. 3 (%) 9. I have a permit to harvest common snapping turtles (0.4%) Similar data on reasons people purchased freshwater commercial fishing licenses was collected during the sale of license sold during FY2003 to FY2007 (Table 0). During those years,persons purchasing commercial fishing license were asked a series of questions to ascertain why they purchased a license. The questions were a facet of the POS system for license sales and were asked at the time the person purchased their license. See Lucas (2009) for a discussion of these data. Table 0. Comparison of Reasons to Purchase a License, Percentage response to question Question CY2009 CY2008 FY2007 FY2005 FY2004 FY2003 I catch fish for personal use& I do not sell catch I buy and/or sell fish for fish markets or fish houses I am a wholesale minnow dealer I sell minnows caught from public waters I raise nongame wildlife for sale Data for FY2003-FY2007 was collected through the POS system. The CY2008 and CY2009 data survey was collected by mail survey.

26 In response to the statement Comments or suggestions concerning ways to improve activities associated with a freshwater commercial fishing license on the Commercial Harvest Survey Form, one hundred and twenty one (2) persons commented. Those comments are summarized in Table. Table. Respondents Comments on Regulation Changes Gear Changes Hoop nets change mesh allow??-2 Change restrictive gear seasons in Pascagoula watershed Stop all commercial fishing in Chickasaw & Leaf Rivers Slat boxes lower opening to ¼ or Gill net mesh size allow 3 ½ in Grenada Res. or 3 statewide Open additional water to commercial gear; Lower Lake, TN-Tom, Allow Commercial trotlines to be set all the way across a stream Need for tags to expire on June 30 Allow gar nets with mesh of Number.9 or larger twine Allow Commercial fishers to have a fishing pole in boat Allow treble hooks for snagging at Reservoirs Stop people from stealing gear, and running the gear of others Stop illegal fishing, in the Pearl River Number More enforcement Approve of not requiring helper to have Commercial fishing license. 6 Regulations OK 3 Need less regulations (not enough commercial fishers anymore 2 because of restrictive regulations) Conservation Officers think commercial fishermen are all outlaws Need better communication on commercial fishing regulations Change length limit or season Remove the catfish over 34 daily creel limitation rule Change creel on catfish over 34 rule to 2 Change restrictive gear seasons in Pascagoula watershed Stop all commercial fishing in the Chickasaw & Leaf Rivers Increase length limit on Flathead to 20 Increase length limit on Buffalo to Fines Reduce fines and penalties 2 Hand Grabbling Either stop it or require a commercial fishing license.or only allow it every other year

27 Access Table. Respondents Comments on Fishery Enhancement Items(continued) Fish Enhancement Stocking Asian Carp River Management Dams Pollution Licenses Clean off boat ramps, e.g. Big Black More boat ramps in Wilkerson Co., Grand Gulf (Hi water), Lost Quarters, Fosters lake, Chickasawhay & Leaf Rivers Open, or allow access to, bayous and lakes to public fishing Reduce stock of big catfish so little catfish can grow Harvest alligators Find a way to use or market buffalo that are caught Stock white catfish in Enid Res., Flathead catfish in the Tenn-Tom Stock grass carp in Pickwick Lake to control weeds Get rid of Asian Carp Develop markets for Asian Carp Stock grass carp in Pickwick Lake to control weeds Stop the US Army Engineers from building Rock Dikes Regulate releases of Ross Barnett Reservoir Dredge out rivers Fix spillway at Lake Mary Need structure in Old River on Yazoo River Reduce pollution Reduce trash, and hot water heaters, etc., or require boaters to have litter bags in boats Need more places to get licenses Need better quality of paper to print license on Establish a non-commercial net license for a person to fish up to 5 nets to catch fish for personal consumption Number

28 Survey participants were asked why commercial fishing is important to you. The responses from the 78 fishers who commented on this question are presented in the following Table 2. Table 2. Respondents Comments to the Question; Why is commercial fishing is important to you? Reasons listed Number respondents Enjoyment 24 (3%) Like to run commercial gear 3 (4%) Hobby 5 (6%) Reduce stress 3 (4%) Like being my own boss Get Food for Family 22 ( 28%) Get fish for social events 4 (5%) Get fish for family cookouts 5 (6%) Donate fish to neighbors, others 0 (3%) Try to see if I could catch more fish Way of life, tradition, family heritage 4 ( 8%) Income, Substantial portion Supplement income Income to cover fishing 0 (3%) 8 (0%) 7 (9%) expenses Reduce grocery bill Be a part of Nature 6 (8%) Commercial fishing keeps rough fish in check 4 (5%) Likes taste/ eating commercial fish 7 (9%) Likes catching catfish and to catch lots of fish 3 (4%) Likes teaching new folks how to fish 4 (5%) Helper 2 Too lazy to run trotlines with sport license 2 Have the commercial gear, but no longer have a market Fifty four (54) respondents to the survey stated that they did not harvest any fish during 2009 and 2 of them mentioned why they did not harvest any fish: Their reasons are presented in Table 3. 28

29 Table 3. Comments from 2 persons that stated why they did not harvest any fish in 2009 The Why Number respondents Health or sickness 9 Too old to fish Have to care for invalid wife Retired Never went fishing last year Too Much rain to fish Job commitment prevented me from fishing Gear was stolen License expired and did not renew Was not successful in catching fish Keep license up in case I have time to fish Not able to fish No Report on Harvest (listed no harvest) Did not keep up with catch Only fish for personal use Forty three percent (43%) stated that they did not harvest any fish in CY2009 due to age or health reasons. The average and median age of persons who purchased commercial fishing licenses during FY200 was 53, with a third of the fishers age 60 or older (Figure 8). The age range of FY200 commercial fishing license holders was 8 to 89. Figure 8. Age Distribution of Persons that Purchased Commercial Fishing Licenses in FY

30 Observations on Mississippi s freshwater commercial fishery based on the harvest survey and license sales. Over half of the licensed participants are not relying on fishing as a significant source of income. Enjoyment, getting fish for family, and heritage were major reasons listed why persons participate in the commercial fishery. Only 3% of the participants identified commercial fishing as a primary source of income. Almost half of those who commented on why they did not harvest any fish in 2009 cited health problems. The fishery has a high turnover in participation as 325 participants in the FY2009 fishery did not purchase a freshwater commercial fishing license in FY2008, and 339 participants in the FY200 fishery did not purchase a commercial freshwater fishing e license in During the three years of FY 2008, FY2009 and FY200,,326 persons purchased one or more freshwater commercial fishing licenses, tags, or permits. Literature cited Lucas, Garry Mississippi Freshwater Commercial Fishery and Paddlefish Commercial Fishery During Fiscal Year Freshwater Fishery Report No. 259 (MS 43). MDWFP, Jackson, MS MDWFP, 200. Inland Commercial Fishing Management Plan, May 200. MDWFP, Jackson MS US Fish & Wildlife Service Cyber Salmon: Estimating Fish Populations. Laurel Devaney, Fairbanks Fish & Wildlife Field Office, 0 2th Ave., Room 0 Fairbanks, AK February

31 APPENDIX D NON-GAME GROSS FISH STOCK SURVEY DATA NON-GAME GROSS FISH STOCK SURVEY DATA Net gears were used to survey the non-game gross fish in waters of NW Mississippi. Stationary gill nets targeting paddlefish were the primary method.. Stationary gill net sets consisted of 6 to 8 nets of the following types of nets. Nets were set from 4 to 24 hours. Base nets that were generally set at each sampling were One 200 monofilament 5 bar mesh sinking gill net, 0 feet deep One 300 multifilament 5 sinking gill net, 2 feet deep tied down to 9 feet One 200 monofilament 3 /2 sinking gill net One 50 monofilament 3 sinking gill net One 300 monofilament 6 sinking gill net, 6 feet deep tied down to 2 feet One 300 multifilament 6 sinking gill net, 6 deep tied down to 9 feet Other nets used at times One 200 multifilament 4 sinking gill tied down gill net One 00 monofilament 5 sinking gill net In Tippo Bayou a net was moved to make multiple sets in conjunction with electrofishing: See following discussion on Tippo Bayou sampling Comparison of catch rates by gill net sampling in FY200 with that of paddlefish harvesters during CPUE is catch per standard net set (50 feet X 20 hours). CPUE per net set Paddlefish All catfish Buffalo Carp Gar All fish Horn Lake,( Mar 200) Wasp Lake, (May 200) Minter City Cutoff, (Jan 200) Tippo Bayou, (May 200) Tippo Batou (electrofish catch per sample) Paddlefish harvesters MS River Paddlefish harvesters Sunflower River 4.4 3

32 APPENDIX D NON-GAME GROSS FISH STOCK SURVEY DATA Survey on Tippo Bayou 9 May 200 Tippo Bayou was surveyed on 9 May 200, using a 200 feet long 5 inch mesh gill net and electrofishing equipment. The net was set, then fish were driven to the net by electrofishing, using a zig-zag pattern down the middle of the bayou, first from upstream, then from downstream. Six samples were collected that covered.9 mile of the bayou in 6675 seconds of electrofishing. Only 2 paddlefish, a common carp, a smallmouth buffalo and a black buffalo were captured in the gill net. Fishes counted and/or collected Paddlefish 9: two caught in nets were 23.2 and 33.3 EFL with the other 7 seen estimated to be 5 between 30 to 37 EFL, one larger than that range and one smaller. Longnose gar 28 Shortnose or spotted gar 45 Gizzard Shad 5 with lengths of 3-5 cm, 4 cm and 4 cm Silver carp 3, one was in. Common carp 6, Minnows Carpsucker Buffalo Fish (Smallmouth, Bigmouth and Black Buffalo) 50 ( see length freq. chart) Sunfish (Bluegill, Longear and Orangespotted) (5-cm) White crappie 5 at (0-2cm) Drum 4 at (-4cm) 32

33 Percentage APPENDIX D NON-GAME GROSS FISH STOCK SURVEY DATA Length Frequency of Buffalo Fish Surveyed on Tippo Bayou May 9, Black Buffalo Bigmouth Buffalo Smallmouth Buffalo Length of Fish in Inches 33

34 Appendix E Tables of Data Presented as Graphs in Report Table. Commercial license sales trend. Number of Commercial License Holders Tags Year Resident Nonresident Total Slat Basket Gear Slat Basket FY 982,783 N/A 0,838 N/A FY 989 ~500 9 FY 990 ~300 ~6 FY 99 ~300 ~23 FY 992 ~200 ~6 FY 993 ~00 20 FY 994 ~000 ~22 FY 995 ~800 ~9 ~ FY ~ FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY ** ** plus persons who purchased slat box licenses, but no commercial license during FY200 34

35 Appendix E Tables of Data Presented as Graphs in Report Age Distribution of Persons Who Purchased Commercial Fishing Licenses During FY200 Age Distribution of Persons Who Purchased Commercial Fishing Licenses During FY200 Year Born Age Number The oldest was born April, 92, and the youngest was born December 27,